Jedi Posse: Karma
by Alex Carter
Summary: Myriam is forced to confront her past while on a mission with Numa and Iesha. You do not have to have read the other Jedi Posse stories, but it assumes you are familiar with the characters. No graphic descriptions, but very "mature" themes are discussed. If this was an '80s sitcom, it would be "a very special episode".
1. Chapter 1

**Karma**

"_Why me? Why now?" were Myriam's only thoughts as her little body was slammed into the metal table._

"_I hear it's your ninth birthday, but I swear you look at least 14," Neco hissed in her ear and ran his hand all over her._

"_Get off of me, Sleemo!" she cried in protest as she felt a surge of power welling within her body. She nearly pushed herself up from the table with Neco's full weight against her when he pulled her head back by her hair, then slammed her face into the table. She felt the blood trickling from her nose and spat up two of her teeth._

"_Go ahead and fight it. Hurts you more than way. Suits me just fine," Neco's laugh horrified the young girl._

_Myriam knew that this happened to the older girls regularly. Evelyn, Myriam's best friend had always been Neco's favorite, but Myriam felt him watching her for several weeks. She thanked the Maker every day that she managed to stay safe. She knew how much Evelyn and the others suffered, but she could only be thankful for her own safety. However, as she heard the sound of the back of her dress tearing, she knew that very soon she would have nothing else to be thankful for._

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Myriam jerked awake with a stifled scream in the co-pilot's chair. "Bad dream you had?" Yoda asked from the seat next to her._

"_Yes, Master," she responded, resting her elbows on the consul and her face in her hands._

"_The future you saw," Yoda muttered more in a statement than a question._

_Myriam rubbed her eyes and turned back to face her Master, but Iesha was now in his seat, "No, I saw the past."_

_Iesha responded with Yoda's voice, "Sometimes meet the past and future do."_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Myriam awoke with a start. Slightly dazed, she checked her surroundings. She was in her bed in her quarters. She remembered going to sleep. This was no dream. Getting out of bed, she turned on the light and sat in the floor in a meditative position. If her vision was a warning, then she knew she needed to prepare herself. A fear that she had not felt in over a decade crept up her spine. She knew that Master Yoda sensed it too and that he had attempted to reach out to her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now she heard Granger's advice as though he were sitting in the room with her, "Journey inward."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Most droids' programing do not allow them to get nervous, but if it were possible, then B217 would be as nervous as anyone could ever get. It was unlike Mistress Myriam to be late for a mission briefing. The only thing that computed, was that something was terribly wrong. The servant droid cautiously tapped on Myriam's door. "Mistress? Master Granger and the others are expecting you….." She knocked again. "Mistress?" Nothing. With no other options, B2 tapped in the security override code. The door slid open and to the droid's relief, Myriam was sitting in the floor with her legs crossed. "Mistress?" No response. B2 did not need to scan the Jedi for vitals. She was obviously breathing. Cautiously she extended her hand to shake Myriam's shoulder.

Myriam's hand shot up to grab the droid's wrist. "What is it B2?"

"Mistress, you are late for your briefing with Master Granger and that others."

Myriam's eyes popped open. She glanced at the clock and could not believe how long she had been sitting there. She jumped to the chair at the communication consul and typed in her code. The holographic images of Granger, Numa, and Iesha popped up. "Myriam, so glad you could join us," Granger appeared to be in the middle of his brief.

"My apologies Master," was all that Myriam offered.

"So," Granger continued, "The Aton Network is a continuation of an old organization of slavers in one of the Zygerrian remnant colonies."

Myriam could not believe her ears. It made perfect sense that Aton would have been the one to take over after the death of Neco and the others. She just did not understand how she had not been able to find them years ago.

"We are going after the old Zygerrian Network?" Myriam did not actually mean to ask aloud.

Granger inhaled, "Numa can fill you in on its history after the brief….."

"I'm familiar with them already. I've… encountered them before." Even across the distance of space, the other Jedi could sense the emotion issuing from Myriam's words. Emotion was a rarity for Myriam, particularly feelings this strong.

"I'm sure any information you can provide will be most useful," Numa added.

Granger continued, "This is the only known picture of Aton." A blurry image of a woman appeared alongside the others. "I'm afraid there's just not much that we do know."

Myriam could not make out the face, but she knew one thing, "That's not Aton." The other Jedi gave her their attention. "Aton is a man and Zygerrian. This appears to be a human woman."

"Well," Granger offered, "Our best intel suggests that this is the person in charge of the Network and whoever she is, she calls herself Aton."

"Very well, Master," Myriam conceded.

"The three of you should rendezvous on the fourth moon of Nilious within a day's time. Numa and Iesha, you are dismissed. Myriam give me just a few more minutes," Granger ended the official portion of the meeting.

"Numa out."

"Iesha out."

Before Granger could chide her, Myriam spoke up, "Master I am deeply sorry for being late. It will never happen again….."

Granger interrupted, "It has never happened before, I know it won't again. I'm concerned about you. Are you alright?"

Myriam did not quite know how to answer the question, "Master….." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I request to sit this one out."

Granger could not believe his ears, this was not the Myriam that he had come to know who was speaking, "I would need to know why to even consider such a request."

Reluctantly, Myriam managed, "I may be a little too close to this mission….. personally… I wouldn't want to compromise it."

"I know I don't need to tell you this," Granger began, "But you have a duty as a Jedi to perform each task assigned. And an even greater mission to remove yourself from personal attachment."

"I know, Master, but my encounters with the Zygerrians were….. before I was recruited into the Jedi Order."

The weight of Myriam's words sank in. He knew full well that she would never ask to be excused from a mission without a very good reason. It also dawned on him just how little he knew of Myriam's past, "Very well, I will inform Numa that you are to be used strictly as backup, I have the utmost confidence in Iesha, but you must go with them."

"Very well Master. Thank you."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_And now ladies and gentlemen, a big round of applause for the star of our show, the Miraculous Myriam!" Pardo seemed to yell his usual introduction even louder tonight. To the audience, Myriam floated down from the rafters. Pardo passed a board over her head to demonstrate there were no wires. The skimpy outfit she wore demonstrated that she could not possibly be using magnetics or anti-grav equipment either. Pardo dismissed himself so the twelve-year-old sorceress could begin her show._

"_May I borrow your hat, sir?" she asked a man seated in the third row. She pointed at him and his hat flew directly to her head. "Thank you." The audience burst into laughter and applause._

_The night's act went on as normal, but all through the performance, Myriam felt as if she were being watched. Of course, the entire audience was watching her, but someone in it was particularly interested. A dread crept up her spine that unnerved her so much she sloshed some water out of the glass in her "floating cup" trick. Who was out there? It had been nearly a year since she escaped from the Network. Had they found her? She knew it was a mistake to perform under her real name, but Pardo loved the way "Miraculous Myriam" rolled off the tongue._

_She skipped a couple of tricks and took deep breath to clear her mind as volunteers from various sections of the audience approached the stage for the finale. They floated a few feet off the platform, then she flew them around the auditorium and set each of them gently back in their respective seats. The curtain closed and separated Myriam from the thunderous applause. She stormed back stage to her dressing room. "Whiskey," she muttered to her assistant as she passed and sealed the door._

_She hurriedly stripped off the outfit and washed the layers of make-up off of her face. She paused to stare into the reflection of her own eyes. Myriam heard the door behind her opening. She hurriedly gabbed a robe and threw it on. Pardo always came back to congratulate her, but never this early. He said she was like a daughter to him, but shew knew and hated the look in his eyes. Occasionally, he would get handsy, but he only made the mistake of trying more than that once. He normally waited for her to down a couple of shots before entering._

_Tonight Pardo was not alone. There was a man in a brown robe behind him. Somehow Myriam knew this was the pair of eyes she had felt. "There's someone here to see you," was all that Pardo offered. No accolades on the show and he sounded strange, then he turned and promptly left her alone with the stranger._

"_It's called a Jedi Mind Trick," the stranger answered her unasked question. "And if you want, I can teach you to use it."_

"_I know enough tricks," Myriam muttered. "What do you want?"_

_The stranger smiled, "My name is Voudon. I am a Jedi Master." He seemed to poke his chest out and stand a little straighter with those last words. Voudon noticed Myriam's blank stare and after a few awkward seconds continued, "The Jedi is an order that is trained to use the Force. If you come with me, I will teach you the ways of it."_

_Although that name, "The Force", struck a chord within her, Myriam knew what it meant when a strange man offered to teach her something new. "No thanks, sleemo." Her door slid open. She thrust out her hand expecting Voudon to go flying through it. Instead, his shoulder twitched just slightly and a smile spread across his face._

"_What you're trying to do is called a Force Push. I can show you how to perfect it and how to resist it."_

_Myriam was impressed, "What is the Force?"_

_Voudon knelt to eye level and for the first time in years, Myriam felt like a young girl, "It is the power you feel within you. It is the guiding energy telling you that you should come with me and learn to be a Jedi."_

"_What's a Jedi?" Myriam's voice trembled._

_Voudon's smile grew even bigger," the Jedi use the Force to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. We right wrongs. Fight for justice throughout the galaxy."_

"_Unable to protect themselves," Myriam whispered. She thought of Evelyn. "Ok. Let's go."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Myriam, Myriam," first it was Master Yoda's voice, then it slowly changed into Iesha's. Myriam's eyes opened and she refocused on the cargo hold of the ship. How long had she been sitting there?

"We're about to orbit the planet," Iesha offered. "You should probably eat something…."

"I'm not hungry," Myriam started to rise from her position, but her legs buckled and she found herself a little wobbly."

"You've been meditating for three straight days," Iesha commented boosting Myriam to her feet. "Like I said, you should probably eat."

"Fair enough," Myriam added still a little woozy.

Numa joined her teammates around the table after landing the ship. Although she was starving, Myriam barely nibbled at her food. Numa and Iesha exchanged glances not exactly sure how to proceed. Myriam finally noticed their concern and asked, "So what can you tell us about the mission, Numa."

Not wanting to avoid her concern for her teammate, but desperately wanting to break the silence, Numa began, "Well, the Aton Network has operated for years in this system. They are known for being rather ruthless with their competition. Rumor has it that Zorbra the Hutt has interests in this system now. To avoid needless bloodshed and since the Republic's interests….. intersect….. with the Hutts in other systems…..we are to eliminate the Aton's leadership and bring the captives back to Coruscant for assistance."

"Captives?" Myriam interjected, "You mean slaves! Since when does Republic business intersect with slavers?"

"Slavery is illegal within the boundaries of the Republic and it would never do anything to encourage it outside of its boundaries…" Numa retorted.

"Then why is it trading one set of slavers for the other?" Myriam demanded.

Numa answered, "The Aton Network is known exclusively for slaving. The Hutts have a variety of….businesses…. none of which include the blatant trade of slaves"

"Zorbra is the biggest pimp in the galaxy, Numa. What do you think the sex-trade is? Slavery! In its worst form."

"We have no idea what Zorbra will do with his new territory. I only know that there is a group of slavers out there that is far overdue in being brought to an end," Numa summed up her position as best she could. "You said that you've encountered them before. Anything you can tell us will be helpful."

Myriam took a deep breath, "I grew up in the old Zygerrian Network. Aton was only on the rise at that time, but I guess he took over after the older leadership was….they died."

Numa and Iesha eyed each other again. Finally Iesha asked, "You grew up in the Network? You were a slave?"

Myriam dropped her head, "Yes."

"The Maker," Numa mumbled. "I had no idea. That's horrible."

"Indeed you have no idea. No one does," Myriam explained. "The old Network wasn't really into the sex-trade, but they sold to some private owners who were. We were mostly cheap labor in their factories, but the overseers, the bosses… they would… especially with the girls…"

"Myriam," Iesha was nearly in tears. "I'm so sorry….."

"It is past. Nothing can be done about it," Myriam closed her eyes.

"But we can prevent it from continuing into the future," Numa charged. "We start early in the morning. Iesha and I will locate their headquarters. Myriam you will monitor for outgoing transmissions and come running if we need backup."

'Excellent," Iesha sounded excited for the challenge. She dismissed herself to her quarters leaving Myriam and Numa alone.

"Numa," Myriam began. "I asked to be excused from this mission. I can't seem to get out of my head, but I've been trying to focus."

"I see that," Numa grinned. "Why don't you go out for a bit and try your…other meditative form?"

"You might be right," Myriam smiled for the first time in days.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Myriam spun the last of the newly finished spears in her hand and tossed it on the pile. She turned to Tyrik, her overseer, "Two Hundred authentic spears of Xim the Despot as ordered." She pulled the bandana from her head and wiped the sweat from her brow._

"_I think you set a new assembly record. I'll be sure to inform Neco. Take the rest of the day off." Tyrik watched her closely as she passed. He was tempted to give her a smack on the bottom, but stopped just short. "Neco's girl," he reminded himself. But he knew that soon the boss would move on to another. Then it would be open season._

_Myriam decided to cut through the courtyard to her quarters. It was not much of a short-cut, but she knew Evelyn would be there, if she was off, if she was still alive. Evelyn did not make it home last night and the sickness in Myriam's gut told her exactly why. Myriam's fears were soon alleviated when she saw Evelyn sitting by the pool, watching the fountains._

"_Hey," Myriam muttered seeing Evelyn's black eye and other fresh bruises._

"_Hi," Evelyn gave a sincere smile. It had been a little over a month since Neco first "visited" Myriam. This meant that Evelyn was no longer under his "protection" and as long as she was able to work the next day, the other men could do anything they wanted to any girl they wanted. The younger girls were usually safe, but once they began to mature or if an overseer had too much to drink, all bets were off. For early bloomers like Myriam and Evelyn, Hell came early and it came often. All the girls knew what went on at night because each girl had been through it and were still going through it. Their only real hope was that they would be sold on the private market to work for some family, but usually even a private owner was a pimp in the sex trade or a man looking for a personal "pleasure" slave, or something even worse._

"_Whatcha doin'?" Myriam sat next to her best friend._

"_Praying," Evelyn ungripped the medallion around her neck. She stared into the skies and closed her eyes._

"_That's good," Myriam offered. "I probably should too….."_

"_Do you ever think of your family?" Evelyn inquired._

_Myriam shivered. She had a few vague images of her home and some people that she assumed were family, but she actually had no idea, "No, the Network is all I've ever really known."_

_Evelyn visibly shook. She pulled a chain from her pocket. "I've been saving. I bought this for you yesterday." Evelyn handed the chain to Myriam, then took the medallion from around her own neck. "My great-grandmother gave this to me the day my parents…..the day they…..the day they sent me away." Evelyn slid the medallion off of her chain. It easily snapped in half and she put one half on Myriam's chain. Evelyn closed Myriam's hand around her gift. "You are my sister. I want you to have this."_

_Tears formed in Myriam's eyes as she examined it. "What is this symbol?"_

_Evelyn held the two pieces together. "My grandmother told me it was the symbol of the Maker…..that he would always be watching over me." She returned her chain around her neck and placed Myriam's around hers. "And I will always look out for you."_

"_And I you," Myriam smiled through her tears._

_Evelyn stared into her new sister's eyes, then dropped her head into her hands, sobbing, "How could they do this to us? Our own families?"_

_It was an unspoken rule that the girls never talked about what happened to them. Myriam hesitated, but then threw and arm around Evelyn. "I'm your family now. I will always be her for you."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Myriam threw herself onto the stool at the bar. If there were slavers on this moon, someone here would know. "Whiskey," she hissed at the bartender. She quickly downed her first shot. "Keep 'em comin'," Myriam muttered slamming her glass down.

After several shots and exchanging a few jokes with the bartender, Myriam finally asked, "Where does one find slavers on this rock?"

The bartender eyed Myriam carefully, "What's a Jedi want with slavers?"

"What do you think?" Myriam grinned.

The bartender pointed with his chin at a group of women sitting at a corner table. Myriam turned to face them. She felt sick. "They belong to Aton?"

"They work for Aton," the bartender corrected.

"Impossible," Myriam thought. A woman going by the name of Aton and female overseers? Maybe this was not the same Network that she used to know. Maybe this was something else entirely, but she had to know for herself.

Myriam tossed some credits to the bartender and stood. Her legs were still a little wobbly, more from the lack of food than the alcohol. She closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. She would need her focus for what was about to happen.

Myriam approached the table with the slaver women. "Greetings," she pulled back her robe to reveal her lightsaber. "I would like to speak with the one who calls herself Aton."

"No one speaks to Aton," one of the girls spoke up. "Especially no Jedi."

"I understand," Myriam replied. "But I only want to speak. There are others on their way who will not be as diplomatic."

The ladies around the table looked at each other. "Who should I say is seeking her?"

"Jedi Myriam," she stated coldly.

The ladies glance at each other again. One of them rose. "Have a drink with the girls. I'll be back."

"Thank you," Myriam smiled.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Before she could finish her drink, Myriam was summoned to an office a few blocks from the bar. Considering it was a slaver boss's office it looked very professional and well kept. Myriam studied the room and tried to learn anything she could, but it offered few clues about this newer Network. After several minutes, a door from behind the desk slid open and a woman stepped through.

"I hear you are looking for me," the shadow figure hesitated, but then stepped into the light.

Joy, confusion, and dread all exploded within Myriam as she recognized her oldest and dearest friend, "Evelyn!"

"Myriam," Evelyn responded coldly. "When they said your name, I couldn't believe it. Back after all these years and a Jedi."

The old friends stared at each other in silence. Part of them leaped for joy, but they also did not quite recognize the other.

So many question were bursting within Myriam's head. She did not know where to begin. "Evelyn…..you're Aton? You're a slaver? How could you?"

"Don't you dare judge me?" Evelyn hissed. "You have no idea how bad things got after you left. Aton took over. He was killed a few years later and that idiot Tyrik became the boss. The only good decision he made was to keep Aton's name and try to hold on to some of his reputation. When I and the girls had finally had enough, we took over ourselves."

"I don't understand," Myriam started. She clutched the half medallion around her neck. "Not a day goes by that I haven't thought of you, dreamed of finding you." She let go of the medallion and let it hang loosely. "And you've become the very thing we once hated….."

Evelyn eyed the half medallion of her great-grandmother, "I lost mine years ago. I lost so many things…..that's why we had to take over. At least we offer our girls some degree of protection."

"Protection? You're a slaver! If you rebelled why didn't you just run?"

"You mean like you? Evelyn retorted.

"I had no choice," Myriam dropped her head, "after….after….."

"After you murdered Neco and the others….. and Marta?" Evelyn finished.

Myriam shut her eyes, "No, it as an accident….."

"Accident….." Evelyn repeated and eyed Myriam's lightsaber. "And you're a Jedi. It all makes sense now. You had the power all along. The power to save all of us, but you only used it to save yourself."

"No," tears began to stream from Myriam's eyes, "I had no idea what was within me until that night. I didn't even know what to call it until the Jedi found me. And it took years to learn how to control it properly."

"And now you're back," Evelyn stated. "Back to destroy the rest of us."

"No Evelyn! Come back with me. Turn yourself in. The Republic wants to help the slaves. I can get them to help you too, "Myriam pleaded.

"Help me? No one ever helps us. You know that. We had to learn to help ourselves just as you did," Evelyn tapped a button on her wrist. "The Republic doesn't care about slaves, Jedi."

The main door to the office slid open behind Myriam. Two guards entered with energy rods. They jabbed, Myriam in the back. Myriam resisted as long as she could, but soon she was unconscious and tumbling to the floor. "Take the Jedi downstairs. She is our property and must be broken. Prepare the arc."

_Next: Part 2_


	2. Chapter 2

**Karma: Part 2**

"_Myriam!" Evelyn raced across the courtyard to her best friend._

_It had been a little over two years since Neco made Myriam his "favorite." Although there came a certain amount of benefits with that status, Myriam felt as though part of her soul died every night. Her only solace was coming to the fountain. She still could not bring herself to pray, but somehow coming here brought her comfort. It was not really her only solace. There was also Evelyn, her sister. "What is it?" Myriam had not seen Evelyn this excited, ever._

"_You won't believe it!" Evelyn grabbed Myriam by the arm and almost dragged her across the courtyard._

"_What's going on?" Myriam asked._

_Evelyn stopped dragging when she reached the tree on the other end of the courtyard. There was a little girl seated in the shade. "Myriam," Evelyn smiled widely, "This is Marta, my sister."_

_Suddenly, Myriam understood. Evelyn had a small piece of her family back. She smiled at Evelyn and Marta, but a horror soon set in. "You're happy that she's….. here?"_

_For the first time, Evelyn's joy dissolved. The full weight of Myriam's words sank in. "She's only eight. Promise me you'll look out for her."_

"_Of course I will," Myriam reassured her best, her only friend, her sister._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Myriam awoke, her world was upside down. She looked up to see her feet encased in a metal trap. She was hanging in the middle of a metal semi-circle, connected to the floor. In all her years in the Network, she had never been strapped into the arc. The arc was a device used to punish disobedience, to break stubborn new arrivals… and runaways. Myriam had not thought of herself as a runaway slave in years, but apparently that was how Evelyn was playing it. She looked again at her feet. Myriam took a deep breath. She knew what was about to happen, but she had to determine exactly what she was up against. She yanked hard with her right leg and promptly howled in agony as the electric current coursed through her body.

"The more you resist, the worse it gets," Myriam noticed the guard beside her for the first time. She also noticed that she had been stripped completely naked. Her concern about the arc broke for just a second and she thanked the Maker that Hannibal was not part of this mission. However, Numa and Iesha were part of this mission. Myriam had no idea how long she had been hanging there, but figured that her teammates would soon be, if not already, on their way. If she could somehow signal them, it would save them (and herself) a lot of unnecessary time. Myriam cleared her mind. If Master Yoda could reach out to the Outer Rim from Coruscant, she could reach across a small moon. _Numa….. Iesha….. _Maybe they would sense her pain. She took another breath and jerked her feet again. The electricity coursed through her again, but this time she continued to struggle. _Iesha…hear me…Numa….." _Myriam blacked out after the brief struggle and the current ceased. The guard checked her vitals. "Some just don't get the message."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Iesha sat in the floor with her legs crossed. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, just as Master Granger taught. _Iesha….._ she heard Myriam's call. "Myriam!" Iesha jumped up and ran to the cockpit of the ship where Numa was going over scans of the moon's surface."Myriam's in trouble!"

"Yes," Numa answered. "I sense it too. And she never came back last night. Do you think you can identify her location?"

Iesha paused for a second, "Yes, I think I'll know it when I see it."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_Confer upon you the rank of Jedi Knight the Council does," Master Yoda's words still echoed through Myriam's mind. She had been a full-fledged Jedi for three days. She was given the standard week off like all new Knights. As soon as the ceremony ended, Myriam chartered a flight to the Zygerrian system. It took longer than she thought to get here. She was not sure if a week was long enough to take down the Network and get back for her first assignment. Deep down she knew there was no way she could defeat the Network and its forces. She would not live to see her new assignment. She only hoped to find Evelyn and free her. Myriam did not care what happened to her. All of her training had been about this moment as far as she was concerned. She only hoped that Master Yoda would understand._

_The ship landed and Myriam found a smaller transport to the Network's headquarters. It appeared to be in ruins. Myriam stared at the building for quite a while. She felt both relieved and disappointed. She was disappointed that she would not get to see Evelyn, but relieved also that she was not still here. Chances were that Evelyn had been sold years ago. Myriam searched the complex. There was no sign of anyone. No functioning computers. No way to find any records. Myriam hoped that maybe the slaves had finally revolted. Maybe they had overthrown their oppressors and taken back their freedom. Maybe Evelyn had been one of them._

_Myriam found the courtyard and approached the fountain. The water no longer ran, but somehow she felt the same peace that she could only find here so many years ago. And for the first time in her life, Myriam prayed._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Numa and Iesha spied the complex from a nearby hill. "She's in there," the padawan reassured the senior Jedi.

"Well," Numa replied, "Let's figure out how to get in there." As they made their way down the hill, Numa shut her eyes, _we're coming._

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

_We're coming._

Myriam's eyes slowly twitched open. She needed to create as big of a distraction as possible. Her eyes were blurry so she reached out with her mind. The locking mechanisms holding her feet could easily be opened through the Force. The question was, what to do after that? Her eyes finally came into focus upon hearing Evelyn's voice. "Are you still with us?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Myriam quirked.

"You keep fighting the arc like that and you will get rid of yourself. I always figured you Jedi to be smarter than that," Evelyn mused.

Myriam thought of Hannibal again, "Oh, you'd be surprised at some of the idiots that get in."

Evelyn chuckled, but her demeanor quickly changed. "Do you remember Rita?"

Myriam thought of the little four-year-old girl who used to do such a terrible job of sweeping out their rooms. Rita was much too young to do any real work and was just a little older than Myriam was, when she first arrived. Rita was mostly oblivious to the horrors of the Network. All the girls loved her, she was one of the few bright spots in their lives. "Of course," Myriam almost smiled.

Evelyn turned extra grim. "The night that you…disappeared….. Aton and the overseers, they brought all of us down to their arc room. Instead of hooking us in, they took Rita." Evelyn paused to clear her throat. "Aton said that they didn't need the arc. They…took turns with her…sometimes three at a time…."

"The Maker….." tears began to drip from Myriam's eyes.

"She died that night. They didn't choke her. They didn't cut her throat," Evelyn closed her eyes. "They raped her to death, right in front of all of us."

Myriam's tears flowed uncontrollably. She could offer no comment.

"They said they would do the same to one of us every night until someone told them where you were. Of course we didn't know… You abandoned us to Hell!" There was a hatred in Evelyn's eyes unlike any Myriam had seen before.

"I had no idea," Myriam pleaded. "I had no choice."

The former sisters stared at each other in silence. Finally, two new guards entered and locked the door. "Mistress, we are under attack."

Evelyn and the new guards pulled their blasters, "Cut down whoever comes through that door." To the guard behind the arc, Evelyn ordered, "If she tries anything, kill her."

"Evelyn!" Myriam pleaded. "You can't win this! Please just come with me. We can help you." Myriam looked at the guards, "all of you."

"_Help _them?" Evelyn turned back. "Do you have any idea who will move into this territory if we leave or are taken?"

"Zorbra that Hutt," Myriam mumbled.

Evelyn stared at her old friend for a few seconds, "So that's it. I didn't realize the Hutts had Jedi in their pockets."

"That's not how it is," Myriam struggled to justify their actions. "You're a slaver, plain and simple. We have an obligation to rid the galaxy of people like you."

"People like me? There will always be slavers and there will always be slaves. We protect our girls from the likes of Neco and Aton. How do you think Zorbra is going to treat his girls when his people move in?"

"Will you listen to yourself, Evelyn?" Myriam pleaded. "Your just compared yourself to Zorbra the froshin' Hutt! That is what you have stooped to!"

"You forfeited your rights to judge us a long time ago," Evelyn responded with a finality that told Myriam there was no convincing her otherwise.

"Let me ask you one more question. Do you sell to private owners?" Myriam posed.

Evelyn dropped her eyes just slightly, "Of course."

"And you know what that usually means."

"That's not my concern….."

"Oh Evelyn….." Myriam made one last plea. For a moment, a sadness overtook Evelyn's face, then she turn to face the door with her blaster.

Myriam knew that conversation was over. Master Yoda's instructions from long ago echoed through her mind. _Train yourself, you must, to let go of everything that you fear to lose. _She closed her eyes. Each Jedi had a special bond with their lightsaber. Myriam always considered hers to be particularly strong. She reached out through the Force and felt it just a couple of rooms down the hall.

In the room, the lightsaber lay on a table next to Myriam's robes. It began to roll slightly on the table. One of the guards picked it up. "Do you know how one of these works?" she asked another. The other guard shrugged. The first guard looked down the saber's central tube. The blue blade sprung to life and went through the guard's eye. Her body fell and the saber began to spin, cutting down the second guard. Then it spun out of the room and down the hall.

The spinning saber cut down most of Evelyn's enforcers in the hall. It floated for just a second outside of the arc room, then plunged blade first into the door.

From inside the arc room, one of the guard's screamed, "They're here!" The lightsaber melted its way through the door and began to spin towards Evelyn and the two guards. They fired at it as it approached, but each shot was deflected. The spinning saber cut down the first guard, but the second was able to engage it with her energy staff. She fought for a moment as though fighting an invisible dueler.

Evelyn turned to the guard behind the arc, "She's doing this, zap her!"

The guard jabbed Myriam with the energy rod. The lightsaber shutdown and dropped to the floor. Myriam tried to focus on her breathing. She did not want to blackout again nor did she want her twitching body to reactivate the arc. Finally, the guard disengaged the staff.

Myriam and Evelyn eyed each other coldly, "Enough of your Jedi tricks."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," With a Force Push, Myriam propelled herself into a backwards swing. She carefully kept her legs limp. Just before the thrust of the swing hit her ankles and engaged the arc, she shut her eyes again. The foot restraints disengaged and her swing became a backflip to the topside of the arc. She stretched out her hand. Her lightsaber flew to her and activated immediately. She jabbed it into the top of the arc, disabling it permanently. Myriam stared down Evelyn and the remaining guards. "Ok, who's first?"

Evelyn began to fire at her one-time sister. Myriam deflected one blast into the front guard and flipped off of the arc, easily impaling the last guard. Evelyn grabbed the first guard's energy rod and charged at Myriam. With a light Force Push, Myriam bumped Evelyn back, but she continued to charge. Myriam opened and closed her hand with a quick succession of light pushes. The Aton boss struggled, but was determined. "Evelyn, you can't win this, please surrender."

Evelyn paused. She reached into her pocket and removed Myriam's medallion. Evelyn threw the sign of their sisterhood at Myriam's feet. "I lied to you. I didn't lose mine. I threw it away… I threw it away the day I realized you were never coming back. The next day we staged our revolt. This is the closest thing to freedom any of us ever had."

Numa and Iesha entered the room as tears again streamed from Myriam's eyes, "I did come back! The day I was knighted I left for the old headquarters. There was nothing left…..all I ever dreamed about was coming back to get you."

"Liar!" Evelyn charged Myriam again. Myriam easily deflected each blow with her saber. This time she used a full Force Push to knock Evelyn to the ground. The energy rod rolled a few feet away.

When Evelyn was able to refocus she saw Myriam standing over her and the blue blade pointed down at her. They locked eyes. "Do it," Evelyn pleaded.

The words crushed Myriam, "I can't….." Numa reached Myriam just as her weakened legs finally gave out and she dropped her lightsaber. "I can't do it, Numa. I just can't…."

"It's ok," Numa soothed her friend. "We will take her back to Coruscant with us."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Evelyn screamed, pulling her blaster.

Myriam saw the anger in Evelyn's eyes. She saw Numa block the blast. Then she saw a green blade impale Evelyn from behind.

"No!" Myriam screamed as Iesha closed her blade and Evelyn's body collapsed to the floor. "No!" Myriam dove to Evelyn's body and clutched it in her arms, but Evelyn was gone. No last words. No reconciliation. No forgiveness. "No! No! No!"

"I had no choice," Iesha struggled to explain.

Numa rushed to Myriam's side. "Oh, Numa," Myriam wept. "She didn't deserve this. You have no idea what it was like. The horrors we suffered."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Myriam cautiously entered the chamber. Master Yoda was seated in the middle in his usual position. "You summoned me Master?"_

"_Yes," Yoda began. "Sit child." The padawan crossed her legs and sat facing her Master. "Strong with the Force are you. And a powerful Jedi Knight you will soon be."_

"_Thank you Master. It is all due to your training."_

_Yoda grunted, "One thing you lack. There is much pain in you. Long for you the Darkside does. Fight it off you do, but to truly defeat the Darkside, let go of your pain you must."_

"_I'm….. I'm not sure I know how," Myriam confessed._

"_Time it will take," Yoda instructed. "Train yourself, you must, to let go of everything you fear to lose."_

"_Why would I be afraid to let go of pain?"_

"_Define you your pain does. If lose it you do, what is left?"_

_Myriam pondered the question. She had no answer._

"_When defined by the Force you are, only then a Jedi will you be."_

"_How do I even do that?" Myriam began to shake._

"_Time it will take. Journey inward. Identify the source of your pain. Recognize it for what it is, but do not hold on to it."_

"_Yes, Master," Myriam shut her eyes and took a deep breath._

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Myriam was polishing the staircase that led to the balcony. It was an intricate task, but her only one for the week. One of the benefits of being Neco's favorite was the lighter work load. It came with a heavy price, but all things considered, it was better to have less work and to be under Neco's protection than to work hard all day and be left to the wolves at night. The burden was a heavy one for every girl in the Network, but Myriam had almost resigned herself to her fate._

"_Hey girlie," Myriam jumped at the sound of Neco's voice, but saw no one. His voice was soon joined by others and laughter coming from the balcony._

_It was getting dark, but the lights in the stairwell had not switched on yet. Myriam crept to the top of the stairs. She was horrified by what she saw._

_Marta had been sweeping the balcony. When Myriam looked out from the stairwell, Neco and an overseer were standing on either side of her grabbing and tugging at her clothes. Three other overseers were standing around, watching, laughing, waiting their turn. They were all obviously drunk._

_Myriam was horrified by what she saw, horrified by the men's condition, horrified by the entire situation that she and the others were in. She felt hatred. She hated Neco, she hated the overseers. She hated Marta. Jealousy raised itself within her. If Neco took Marta tonight, then any man in the Network could have his way with Myriam tomorrow. She thought of Evelyn and hated herself for being so selfish. Myriam felt something stirring within her, a power she could not explain. She sprang from the stairwell screaming, "Stop it! Just stop it! Enough!"_

_Then things got weird. The entire party, Neco, the overseers, Marta, all of them went flying into the rail along the edge of the balcony. The rail gave way. It and the crowd went crashing into the courtyard, five stories below._

_Myriam darted to the edge to see the bloodied mass below. She had no idea what happened, but somehow she knew she was responsible. As a confused screaming group began to form around the carnage, Myriam heard…..no felt a voice from within her telling her exactly what to do, "Run."_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_When Myriam opened her eyes, her head was lying in Master Yoda's lap. Her tears had soaked through his robes and he was gently stroking her hair. "There, there child. Great your pain is."_

_She sat up. "I thought I had put it behind me."_

"_Hidden yourself from it you have, but a part of you it will always be. Learn to let go of it you will. Time it will take."_

_Myriam wiped her tears, "Yes, Master."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Myriam stared out of the window into Hyperspace. Numa sat in the corner, eating a snack, not really sure how to break the silence. Iesha entered. She paused a few feet from her hurting teammate, "Myriam?"

"Yes, padawan?" Myriam answered sounding as distant as the stars shooting by the window.

"I found this," Iesha held out the medallion. "I thought you may want it back."

Myriam eyed the metallic chain for a moment. Reluctantly she nodded and took it. Instead of returning the medallion to her neck, she simply stared at it dangling between her fingers.

After a few seconds of silence, Iesha turned and walked swiftly to the door. "Pada… Iesha….." Myriam called behind her.

Iesha turned without answering.

"Thank you," Myriam started. "You saved my life."

"Your welcome, of course," Iesha gave a light smile and exited the room.

When Iesha left, Numa approached the window for the first time. "That was good of you. She really admires you, almost as much as Granger…..we all do." She placed her hand on Myriam's shoulder. "Master Granger has summoned us to join him and the others in the Alluvian system. You should escort the captives back to Coruscant, then take a few days. Join us when you are ready."

Myriam took Numa's hand. She placed the medallion in it and closed Numa's fingers around it. "You are my sister," were the only words she offered.

_The End_


End file.
